4of4Coaches advise Lamar Miller to stay patient, and he did with a longest run of 12 yards in his 106-yard Texans debut.Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

Bill O'Brien and Lamar Miller have a marriage made in heaven.

O'Brien made a sacred vow to run the ball, and Miller loves to run it.

O'Brien has been the Texans' coach for 33 regular-season games. They have 1,058 rushes, tying Seattle for the most in the NFL.

One reason Miller left Miami, where he was underutilized, was to get an increased workload with the Texans. Miller was signed to replace Arian Foster, who, in turn, has replaced Miller as the Dolphins' starter.

In Sunday's 23-14 victory over Chicago, Miller carried a career-high 28 times for 106 yards. That puts him on a pace for 448 carries, which would shatter Larry Johnson's league record of 416.

That's not likely to happen, of course, because the Texans have so many weapons. It's also not likely Miller will finish the season with 512 touches. That's another pace he's on after offensive coordinator George Godsey also called on him to make four catches against the Bears.

Now Kansas City comes to NRG Stadium for the second game of the season. Undoubtedly, Miller will figure heavily into the game plan, and the Chiefs know it.

"We try to do as much as the player can handle," said Godsey, who calls the plays. "He's been able to handle a lot. He comes in ready to learn, (and) there's something new for him every day."

Getting a lot of carries is something new for Miller.

Last season, the Dolphins gave him 20 carries once, and he responded with 113 yards in a victory over Baltimore. He had a season-high 22 touches in a victory over Philadelphia.

Amazingly, he never got as many as 20 carries or 22 touches again last season.

In 2014, Miller didn't have a 20-carry game. He did have a season-high 24 touches in a victory over Minnesota.

In 2013, his second season, he had one 20-carry game. In a victory over the New York Jets, he had 22 carries.

The Texans couldn't care less why the Dolphins' coaches elected not to give Miller the ball more. All they care about is that Miller welcomed getting the heavy-duty work in his debut with the Texans.

"I think you need to run the ball," O'Brien said. "I think it helps your balance and your play-action game.

"When George and I try to get a feel for the game, one of the things we look at is the line of scrimmage. If the line of scrimmage is moving forward, that means to me that we should probably continue to run the ball."

A good sore

On opening weekend, the Texans ran 35 times, second to San Francisco's 42. Miller and Pittsburgh's DeAngelo Williams (143) were the only backs to reach the century mark.

It took Miller a long time to accomplish that feat, but he was able to withstand the punishment.

"I talked to Lamar a lot about that in the offseason, 'Stay patient. Not every play is going to be a home run,' " O'Brien said.

The 220-pound Miller, 25, has enough power to run inside and 4.41 speed to get outside. He reached triple digits the hard way Sunday because his longest run was 12 yards - not much for a breakaway back with 97- and 85-yard touchdown runs the last two seasons.

"To break a long run, it's not necessarily just him or just the line," Godsey said. "He was feeling good. It was working for us. It was setting up some play-action we had. He felt fresh, (but) it's a 16-game season (and) that's something we'll look at."

Miller was sore this week, but it was a good sore. The Texans will keep a close eye on his health because durability is so important at his position.

"It's a collision sport," Godsey said. "When somebody is making contact that amount of times, it's always a concern.

"It's (about) finishing our blocks and being able to complement him with the other parts on offense. He's a professional. He knows what he needs to do week to week."

A sight to behold

Miller isn't a big talker, but he's expected to put up big numbers.

"(That many touches) was a first for me," he said. "I have to do a good job of taking care of my body. The offensive line gave me holes to run through. I was just trying to be patient and get positive yards."

Miller's teammates had a blast watching him in action.

"I loved everything about it," quarterback Brock Osweiler said. "It's a lot of fun watching that guy run from the field level. He runs hard and finds little creases that maybe other backs wouldn't. He does some special things."

John McClain, a Waco native who graduated from Baylor in 1975, is in his 43rd year at the Houston Chronicle and his 40th covering the National Football League, including the Oilers and Texans. He worked for the Waco Tribune Herald from 1973-76, when he accepted a job with the Chronicle. to cover the original Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association.

McClain has a plaque in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio as the 2006 winner of the Dick McCann Memorial Award presented annually by the Pro Football Writers of America to a writer for his long and distinguished coverage of the NFL. He is past president of the Pro Football Writers of America.

He's a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Seniors Committee and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

In 2015, he was named as a Gridiron Legend in Texas, becoming the third member of the media behind Dave Campbell and Mickey Herskowitz.

McClain can be heard six times a week on the Texans' flagship station Sports Radio 610 in Houston. He also does weekly sports talk shows in Nashville, Knoxville, Waco, Austin and San Antonio.

McClain also has appeared in eight movies: The Rookie, The Longest Yard, Spring Breakers, Secretariat, Invincible, Cook County, The Game Plan and Make It Rain.

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